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Chapter Fifty Five: I Hate The Man You’ve Become
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Fifty Six: Let Me Make Love To You
Two days later, Lyra stared up at him with consternation. “You have to bejoking.”“Come on,” Viktor wheedled, holding out his hand beneath the hotafternoon sunshine. “You said you wanted to do it.”Glancing back at the tallest sand dune, she licked her lips. “I said itlooked fun in theory.”“You know you want to.” Wind ruffled his tousled black hair as he smileddown at her. He was casually dressed, in a well-worn black T-shirt thathugged his muscular chest and large, taut biceps and low-slung jeans on his hips. He looked relaxed and younger than she’d ever seen him. He lifted adark eyebrow wickedly. “You’re not scared, are you?”Lyra licked her lips. When he looked at her with that mischievous smile,he made her want to agree to absolutely anything.But—this?Furrowing her brow, she looked behind her. Three young Berber boys,around twelve or thirteen years old, were using brightly colored snowboardsto careen down the sand, whooping and hollering in Berber, the primarylanguage
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Fifty Seven: Go And Pack
Share his bed?Lyra’s lips parted, her heart beating frantically as she looked up at him.Let him make love to her?She’d been trying to build up enough courage to kiss him. What would itbe like to have him make love to her?With a shuddering breath, she looked up at him. “I thought you said our marriage was in n-name only.”“I changed my mind,” Viktor said huskily. “You know I want you. And I’ve come to enjoy your company. There’s no reason we shouldn’tbe...friends.”“Friends who will divorce in a few weeks.”“We could still see each other.” He looked at her. “If you want.”Her lips parted. “If I want?”“I would very much like to still see you, after we are divorced.” His blue eyes seared through her soul. “For as long as you are still interested in seeing me.”Lyra sucked in her breath. For as long as she wished to see him? Thatwould be forever!She looked back over the edge of the dune. It didn’t look so frighteninganymore. Not with this new challenge. Not with her very virgini
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Fifty Eight: Seduction
There would be no seduction. Instead, from this night forward, she’d besleeping alone in a separate tent.Once, Lyra would have been relieved.But now...Numbly, she rose from their bed. Grabbing her backpack, she started togather her clothes. Then she stopped, looking around the tent. Viktoralways dumped everything on the floor, in that careless masculine way,knowing it was someone else’s job to follow after him and tidy up. Lookingacross the luxurious carpets piled thickly across the sand, Lyra’s eyes couldsee the entirety of her husband’s day: the empty water bucket of solid silver.The hand-crafted sandalwood soap. His crumpled pajama pants. And in acorner, his black leather briefcase, so stuffed with papers that it could nolonger be closed, none of which he’d glanced at even once since the daythey’d arrived here.In the distance, she heard a sound like rolling thunder.Tears rose to her eyes, and she wiped them away fiercely. She didn’t wantto leave him. This was the pl
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Fifty Nine: You’re Mine
Illyra stood alone in the surf, staring bleakly out at the moonlit ocean, wishing she was far, far away from Hawaii. She felt the waves against her bare thighs, felt the sand squish beneath her toes. She shivered in the warm night, wishing she was a million miles away.How could she have given him her virginity? How could she let him sleep with her after everything he had done to her?How could she have let him kiss her, touch her, make her explode with pleasure? How?Allowing Andrei to make love to her had brought back all the memories of the way she’d once loved him. How could she have allowed herself to be so vulnerable? Why hadn’t she been able to protect herself, to keep her heart cold?Because he’d always known how to get past all her defenses. Always. He hadn’t forced her. He hadn’t needed to. All he’d done was kiss her, and she’d surrendered, melting into his arms. And she’d been able to hold nothing back. Her feelings had come pouring out of her lips. How she’d loved him.How
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty: No, Illyra, No
Andrei left a trail of sand and water as he crossed the floor of their bedroom, then gently lowered Illyra to her feet beside the bed.Neither of them spoke. Almost holding his breath, he slowly stroked down her soft arms to her slender waist. He undid the silken tie of her robe. Never taking his eyes from hers, he peeled the wet, translucent silk off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor.She now stood before him naked and beautiful, her eyes luminous in the moonlight. Looking at her, this sensual angel, Andrei trembled, racked with desires both sacred and profane.He’d taken her virginity. He couldn’t undo that.But he could change her memory of it. He could make it better than the last time. Pulling her naked body into his arms, against his bare chest, he cupped the back of her head, tangling his hands in her long wet hair, and lowered his mouth to hers.This time, without so much anger and prejudice in his heart, he finally felt her inexperience, the way she held her breath a
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty One: Until Illyra
Putting his hand on her cheek, he lowered his head to hers. As he kissed her lips, his hands stroked her satin-soft skin, cupping her breasts. Moving down her body, he kissed first one breast, then the other, with hot need, suckling her until she gasped. His fingertips caressed down her belly. When he reached the mound between her legs, he stopped. His body was shaking, screaming for him to push inside her.But he did not. He moved abruptly to the bottom of the bed. Taking one of her feet in his hands, he slowly kissed it, suckling her toes, tasting salt from the Pacific on her sweet, warm skin. He felt her tremble as he kissed the hollow of her foot, then moved up her leg to her calf, and the tender spot behind her knee. When he reached her thighs, he pressed them apart, spreading her.He risked a glance upward. Her face was rapt, her eyes tightly closed. He heard the rasp of her breath and felt the tremble of her legs as she nervously tried to close them. Smiling to himself—he could
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Two: He Wanted Illyra
“But, sir!”“My cartel and his can win in a fair fight.”“Of course we can!” the man replied indignantly. He continued in a bewildered voice, “It’s just that we’ve never tried.”“No more dirty tricks,” Andrei said harshly.“It will be harder—”“Deal with it.”The man cleared his throat. “You were expected in St. Petersburg today for the signing of the new operation and merger. How long do you wish us to delay...?”Andrei gritted his teeth. “I will be at the office tomorrow.”“Good.” He audibly exhaled. “With ten billion dollars on the line, we don’t want anything to—”“Tomorrow.” Andrei hung up. Tossing his phone on his desk, he left the study, with its computers and piles of paperwork. Walking outside to the courtyard, he stopped by the pool. Closing his eyes, he turned his face toward the bright morning sun. He felt the warmth of the golden light, and took a breath of the exotic, flower-scented air."I think the man I love is still inside you.""He’s dead and gone.""Are you sure?"
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Three: I Want To Touch You
So much for his brilliant intelligence. Viktor had thought he was so smart,finding a loophole around his promise. Passing her in their race down the dune, he’d felt triumphant, his body tight, knowing he all but had her in hisarms.Then there was a scream, and she’d flown past him. She was such anaccomplished snowboarder that she’d had no problem handling the texturaldifferences between snow and sand. And she’d seen the source of thescream, the injured boy, half a second faster than he had. It was enough tomake any man feel slow. Stupid and slow.Which was exactly how Viktor had felt pacing the tent of the boy’sfamily as his uncle, a doctor trained in Marrakech, worked on the boy’sugly compound fracture with his limited instruments at hand. Viktor hadlooked down at the sobbing boy, wishing he could do more than order ahelicopter on his satellite phone, wishing they didn’t have to wait so long,and most of all, dreading the long, jarring journey the boy would facetraveling t
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The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Five: Can You Ever Love Me?
As Andrei finished zipping up the ball gown, he turned her to face him. Brushing tendrils of hair from her face, he looked down at her with electric blue eyes. “Are you ready? The ball is in a few minutes.”Looking up at his handsome face, Illyra tried not to feel anything. But her heart slammed against her ribs.His forehead furrowed. “Illyra ?”She turned away with a lump in her throat. “I, um, need some lipstick.” Going to the mirror, she made her lips bright Chanel red. Lifting the silk hem of her gown, she stepped into her expensive shoes with sparkling crystals decorating the four-inch heels, and took a deep breath. “Ready.”Downstairs in the foyer, Andrei took a sharply tailored black coat from the closet, wearing it over his tuxedo. Then he removed a black hanging bag from the closet. He unzipped it. In dismay, Illyra saw white fur.He noted her expression. “Don’t worry. It’s fake.”Dubiously, she reached out and stroked the soft white fur. “It seems real.”“Well.” His lips cu
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Four: I Cannot Love
He shrugged. “Perhaps she forgot something at your old apartment. You don't have to worry about her. She is old enough to take care of herself. You worry too much about her.”“Spending every penny she owns, just to go back for some old sweater or something?”Andrei pressed his lips together. Illyra saw him hesitate, then reluctantly say, “Apparently she was trying to get the police to take an interest in your case. But they laughed at her, both in Seattle and Honolulu.” He looked at Illyra sideways. “They thought our wager sounded like a lovers’ game between consenting adults.”“Right.” She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “So where is she now?”He shook his head. “The trail went cold.”Lyra was missing? Illyra opened her mouth, then stopped. Telling him her fears would do no good. She feared it would only set off another tirade from him about how Lyra was a grown woman and that Illyra should allow her sister to face her own consequences.And for all she knew, he was righ
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Three: Something Is Wrong
The next night, Illyra paused as she got ready for the New Year’s Eve ball. She looked wanly out the tall curved window of their bedroom.The wintry Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea looked nothing like Hawaii’s warm turquoise waters. It was even worse than Alaska’s frigid sea. Even in the weak, short hours of daylight, the Russian waves were choppy and gray. But the sun had set long ago, and the world was dark. The black, icy water here could suck the life out of you within seconds if you were dumb enough to fall into it.Kind of like falling in love with a man who would neither love you back nor set you free.Illyra closed her eyes. Yesterday, the workaholic tyrant had been neither workaholic nor a tyrant, playing hooky from work to entertain her. Letting people keep their jobs in his merger. Tipping that saleswoman at the boutique. Getting rid of the men who’d threatened Illyra and her little sister. And more.I’ve never forgotten you, Aurora. She would never forget the stark vulne
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Two: A Ruined Day
She stared at him, then shook her head. “I can see how you twist women’s hearts around your little finger.”“There’s only one woman I want.” He looked at her beautiful, stricken face over the flickering candle. “I’ve never forgotten you, Illyra. Or stopped wanting you.”He felt her hand tremble before she wrenched it from his grasp. She reached wildly for her untouched glass of vodka and, tilting back her head, drank the whole thing down in a single gulp.That gulp ended with a coughing fit. Reaching around her, he patted her on the back. Her face was red when she finally managed a deep breath, wheezing as she quipped, “See? I know how to handle vodka. No problem.”Somewhat relieved by her deliberate change of subject, Andrei laughed, his eyes lingering on her beautiful face. He’d said too much. And yet it was oddly exhilarating. The adrenaline rush of emotional honesty put skydiving to shame, he thought. About time he tried it.The waiter returned to take their order, and Andrei requ
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy One: I Can’t Be Bought
Andrei had truly expected this to be a quick stop en route to dinner at the best restaurant in the city. He’d assumed Illyra would quickly select one of the most expensive necklaces in the store: the looped rope of diamonds, the diadem of sapphires, the emerald choker that cost the equivalent of nine hundred thousand dollars. But an hour later, she still hadn’t found a necklace she wanted.“Six million rubles?” she said now, staring down incredulously at the ropes of diamonds patiently displayed by the portly jeweler. “How much is that in dollars?”He told her, and her jaw dropped. Then she burst into laughter. “What a waste!” She glanced at Andrei. “I won’t let you spend your money that way. Might as well set it on fire.”He didn’t have nearly the same patience as the jeweler. “Money isn’t a problem,” he said tightly. “I have more than I could spend in a lifetime.”“Lucky you.”“I mean it. After you make a certain amount, money is just a way to keep score.”“You could always donate t
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy: I’m Not A Good Man
Slowly, he turned to face her.Illyra’s hazel eyes were luminous, piercing his soul. “When we met, I thought you’d changed completely from the man I loved. But you’re still the same, aren’t you?” she whispered. “The other man—he’s just the mask you wear.”Andrei’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He felt bare beneath the spotlight. “You’re wrong,” he said roughly. “I am ruthless. Selfish, even cruel. Don’t believe otherwise.”She shook her head. “You’re afraid people will take advantage, so you hide your good heart—”“Good heart?” He grabbed her shoulders, looking down at her fiercely. “I am selfish to the bone. I will never put someone else’s interests ahead of my own. I cannot love, LIllyra. That ability is no longer in me. It died a long time ago.”“But—”“Would a good man keep you prisoner against your will?”She lifted her gaze. Her hazel eyes were suddenly troubled, opaque, full of shadows.“No,” she whispered.No. That one word caused an unexpected wrench inside him. As the
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Nine: You Might Have A Heart
Illyra’s beautiful face came into focus. “Lyra and I have been fired like this before.” Her eyes were pleading as she clutched his arm. “You don’t know what it’s like, to always know that your boss or a single customer can just snap his fingers and take away your livelihood and your pride and your ability to feed your family.” She swallowed, her heart-shaped face stricken. “Please don’t do this.”Andrei’s lips parted. He didn’t even realize he’d agreed to her request until he saw Illyra’s beautiful face light up with happiness. He dimly heard the grateful sobs of the Russian girl, but as Illyra threw her arms around him, he felt only her. Saw only her.“Thank you,” she whispered. She drew back, tears sparkling in her eyes. “And thank you for that huge tip you gave her as an apology. I never expected that.” A smile lifted Illyra’s trembling lips. “I’m starting to think you might have a heart, after all.”Huge tip? Looking down, Andrei saw that his wallet was indeed open in his hand, an
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Eight: You Belong To Me
He stared at her, and the air around them suddenly became electrified. “Of course they matter.” He took a single step toward her. “Illyra—”A knock sounded at the door. An older man poked his head in, an American with wire-rimmed glasses and anxious eyes. “Your Highness. Excuse me.”“What is it, Anderson?” Andrei demanded.The man looked at Illyra and then cleared his throat. “We’ve reached an impasse, sir. Svenssen is demanding we retain every member of his company’s staff.”“So?”“Our company has a thousand employees we don’t need. Drillers. Cafeteria workers in Siberia. Accountants and secretaries. Dead weight.”Dead weight. Illyra ’s spine snapped straight. He would no doubt consider her and Lyra dead weight, too, with their ten years of backbreaking, low-paying cleaning jobs. Every month, they’d experienced the painful uncertainty of never knowing if their jobs would last, or if they’d be able to pay their bills. Biting her lip, she glanced up and saw Andrei watching her. His eye
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Seven: My Feelings Don’t Matter
Andrei frowned, drawing closer. “What are you...?” People passed them in the hall, two men in suits and three women in tiny skirts, all looking at them with intense interest. Narrowing his eyes, he growled, “Come with me.”He pulled her into the nearest private office, closing the door behind them. She wrenched her arm away, blinking fast. Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears as she tossed her head. “You’re out of your mind if you think...”She gasped as, without a word, he roughly yanked open her oversized coat. He saw the lingerie, the white lace bustier,G-string panties and garter belt, and drew in a breath. He looked at her darkly.“And you are out of your mind,” he said in a low voice, “if you think I’m going to let you leave.”He ripped off her long coat, dropping it to the floor. Pushing her against the wall of the private office, he kissed her hard. Illyra’s body stiffened as his mouth plundered hers. She felt the soft, demanding steel of his lips against her own. Against
